Papermaking apparatus



6, 1945. G. s. WITI-IIAM 2,388,627

PAPER MAKING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1940 Patented Nov. is, 1945 Y UNITED, QFFICE frsraamssma srrsas'rus George s. Witham, Hudson Falls, N. Y. Application mms, 1940, Serial No. 360.443

, -1 Claim. (or 92-46) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for indicating the flow of water in and out of a paper machine vat and is more particularly directed to indicating. recording and controlling the consistency or freeness of stock used in the pulp and paper industry.

The present preferred forms of the inventions are concerned with the consistency or freeness of stock in connection with ground-wood deckers, wet machines, cylinder moulds, andsimilar apparatus where stock is delivered to a vat in which wise. Other or additional means may be provided for removing or receiving the web or ma x i6 movable up and'do'wn therein from which deis rotatablea cylinder or mould on which fibers are applied or deposited. According to the mventions expensive testing equipment is eliminated, the consistency may be visually determined as toone or plural vats. and changes in consistency may be readily'determined whereby the consistency may be regulated, controlled or varied all as may be desired.

Various novel features and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter referred to in connection with the following description of the present preferred form of the'invention with reference to the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side. elevational view, more or less diagrammatic, of. a vat having a cylinder or mold rotatable therein with apparatus including the novel features of the invention associated therepends and I8.

A valve disc 20 pivoted at 22 in the connection is arranged to be swung between open and closed andintermediate positions by the float and rod, there being an arm 24 extending from the valve disc that is operatively engaged by said rod I I.

It is desired according to the invention, to maintain a predetermined level or head of stock in the vat outside the cylinder. Such a level is indicated by L. This contributes to the most ellicient operation of the apparatus and to the better and more uniform characteristics of a web being formed on the cylinder.

' extending float chamber 34.

making material, where fibers are suspended in a liquid such as water. is delivered to the vat out-Z side the cylinder and the water flows through the periphery of the cylinder and out the ends of the cylinder so that the fibers are delivered to or L taken on by the peripheral foraminoussuri'ace usually provided in the cylinder, but not shown. The vat and cylinder may represent the parts of a decker, wet machine, forming mould machine. single-vat paper machine, or other machine a where material of the stock, such as the flbers of paper stock. are deposited on the cylinder for forming a web or for other purposes. A couch roll is represented by C over which a felt runs'for receiving and removing the flbers deposited on the cylinder either in the form of a web or other- Where one result is to be obtained the level may be difierent than when another result is desired and certain stocks may require a different level than others. Whatever the level desired or predetermined, it is maintained by the position of valve disc 22 which is operated by float it.

That is to say. if level L moves upwardly in the vat thefloat is caused to move upwardly which moves the valve disc towards its seat; when the level lowers the valve disc is caused to move to open position. These changes in the level bring about movements of the valve disc to control the flow of stock and restore the level to thatidesired.

A connection 30 extends from one or both ends of the vat to a receiver 32 having an upwardly- Water, as in the case of a decker, cylinder machine or the like, passes through the cylinder and out connection 30 to the receiver.

A discharge outlet 36 is connected to the .receiver and in its end there is a member such as 38 having an orifice 40.. The member 38 may be secured to the end of outlet 36 by a member 42 in screw threaded engagement therewith. There may be various oriflce members such as 38 of Fig. 2 and 38 of Fig. 3 having discharge orifices of different size or area.

A float l6 movable up and down in chamber 34 has-a rod 48 reciprocable in a cap 50. The rod- -36 controls the discharge of water from the re-- ceiver and vat to a predetermined degree and the float is positioned according to the level in the chamber 34. Obviously as the level of water in chamber 34 varies the position of the float varies to vary the position of the index member 52 relative to the target 54.

From the discharge member 33 the water, called white water" in the case of a paper machine, may be delivered to a tank 60 adjacent the floor 62 and from the said tank it may be conducted so as to complete the cycle as by a pipe or pipes 64.

The indicia on the target may obviously take any form desired in order that in connection with the index any change of position of the float 4 may be indicated or recorded.

In operation paper stock having the desired consistency is delivered from the supply; that is, that stock of the consistency which will produce the desired results and is best suited for the operation is delivered to the vat. The float l6 may be adjusted so as to locate valve disc 22 in a way to maintain a level in the vat which is best desired for the results to be obtained and the stock used.

1 At the end of discharge 33 is disposed that orifice member having a definite orifice area which will bring about a level in chamber 34 that will locate the index 52 approximately midway of the target 54. This may be called the normal position for normal consistency.

In case the stock varies, as by becoming more dilute, more water then passes through the stock on the cylinder and out connection 32 so that the level in chamber 34 is raised with the certain discharge orifice accommodating a definite fiow.

As the float is elevated the index 52 moves upwardly of the target from its normal position so as to indicate and record the amount of water in the receiver and, consequently, the relatively less consistency of the stock. That is, should the stock consistency become relatively greater, then less water flows through the receiver and the float 46 lowers to lower the index thus indicating an increase in consistencyof the stock.

The target may be calibrated so as to indicate consistencies directly and thus there is a visual indication of the consistency at all times to facilitate bringing the consistency to that desired."

A recording device having a clock-operated chart carrying member might be provided on which the consistency is applied by a movable marking element that is operated by the float 34, rod 48 or by the pressure obtaining in'the receiver. There may be means for supplying water to the stock such as disclosed. in United States Patent Re. 19,997 issued tome on June 2, 1936 that is operated by or under the control of the consistency sensitive members of the apparatus shown. I

Manifestly the specific details of construction may be considerably varied from those herein shown and described without involving any departure from the principle of the invention or respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein. What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The combination in apparatus of the class described of a vat having a foraminous cylinder rotatable therein and provided with an inlet means for paper stock at one side of the cylinder and an outlet means at an end of the cylinder to facilitate the admission of water including paper fibers into the vat through said inlet and through said cylinder and out said outlet, said inlet means provided with a vertically disposed chamber in communication therewith for a column of paper stock and valve means disposed between said chamber and said vat, a float in said chamber for movement up and down as the level of the column of paper stock in the chamber raises and lowers, connections between said valve means and float whereby the former is opened and closed accordingly as the float is moved down and up thereby to maintain a predetermined level of paper stock in the vat, said outlet means provided with a discharge means of predetermined area for a predetermined water discharge and a vertically disposed discharge chamber in communication therewith between the discharge means and said vat for a column of water, a float in said discharge chamber for movement therein up and down as the level of the column of water in the chamber raises and lowers, and means for indicating the level of water in the discharge chamber operably connected to said float, all adapted and arranged whereby paper stock is maintained at a predetermined level in said vat by the valve means and first named float and the discharge of water at the discharge means is maintained at a predetermined rate so that variations in the consistency of stock in the vat results in more or less water passing out the outlet means and brings about variations in the level of the float in the discharge chamber to operate the indicating means connected thereto to indicate variations in the consistency of the paper stock.

GEORGE S. WITHAM. 

